This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly of the type having a pair of mateable cylindrical shells secured together by a rotatable coupling ring and, more particularly, to an improved decoupling retardation mechanism for such an assembly which acts to negate vibrational effects tending to decouple the shells.
There is a continuing need to improve electrical connectors so that they meet rigid performance standards imposed by severe environmental requirements established by aerospace applications. During desired mating and unmating, the electrical connectors should be easily and quickly coupled and decoupled with the use of reasonable forces. Once mated and in use, however, electrical connector assemblies must remain connected despite vibrational and/or other forces which might be applied to the connector assembly and which might tend to decouple the connectors.
There have been numerous approaches in the past which have addressed the problem of maintaining an assembled pair of cylindrical electrical connectors together. One such approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,670, which in its specification discusses other patents which disclose other approaches. For various reasons, it remains a desire in the industry to provide an approach that achieves the substantial retardation forces needed to satisfy the present-day strict requirements established for aerospace applications.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector assembly of simple construction which has an improved decoupling retardation mechanism which allows desired coupling and decoupling but resists a substantial torque to prevent unwanted decoupling due to vibration and the like.